Jumpstart 2017

It’s a new year and whether you’re starting a business or ready to take your current one to the next level, these resources will help you look highly professional every step of the way.

1. Get a separate business credit card

Starting a business is a major investment, and monitoring your expenses closely is key. Open a separate business credit card that is used solely for business purchases. This will make it much easier to separate your business purchases from your personal ones, and to keep track of all your expenses. Here’s a few good options to consider:

Contrary to common belief, you don’t actually need to get a separate phone to run your business. Instead, get a dedicated phone number that routes to your existing mobile phone. You can create a separate voicemail message for your business calls, which will ensure that potential customers know they’ve reached the right number. Here’s a few of the services that make this easy:

Still using your personal email account for your business? Look more professional by setting up a separate business email address with your own domain, such as greg@yourcompanyname.com. This is especially important if you want multiple people within your business to access the same email. (Tip: if you use Gmail for your personal email too, you can be signed into both at the same time and easily go back and forth.) Check out the following options:

Invoice2go has a simple tool to help you create a professional logo for your business in a short amount of time. If you want something with a lot of customization, here’s some other services worth exploring:

While you may work from your home, it’s recommended that you get a separate mailing address for your privacy and to make your business look more professional. One option is to create a P.O. box. Alternatively, you can purchase a box at a local store such as:

You never know when you might meet a potential customer, so it’s always good to have business cards on hand. Invest in quality because your business card can add to, or take away from the first impression you make. There are many online providers that make creating a quality business card fast and easy. Check these out:

These days, customers expect businesses to have a strong online presence. Luckily, it’s easy to set up your own website domain (e.g. www.brightcleaners.com) with no technical expertise required. We recommend:

Creating a high quality, professional website has never been easier. Thanks to simple new online tools, literally anyone can do it. You just start from a template and customize it from there. Here are some of the best website creation tools:

With Invoice2go, you can use our easy reporting tools to see how your business is performing and who still owes you money. We recognize though, that some businesses require robust accounting platforms that can handle things like payroll. If this is you, we recommend exploring the following options:

Unless you’re a lawyer, it’s difficult to navigate the different options to set up your business entity from a legal standpoint. We recommend exploring the following resources to make sure you have all the information you need:

We’ve worked with thousands of small businesses over the years, and we’ve learned a lot along the way. In addition to these tips, be sure to check out the Invoice2go Blog and Small Business Resource Center for more information to help you find your way to success.

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